The Quad C: Catherine
by JakeSito
Summary: Catherine is an interplanetary exchange student to Calath and her family. She's smart, fit, talented, and good looking. She has an annoying older brother, but who cares. Who wouldn't give anything to be like her...
1. Chapter 1

**The Quad C: Catherine**

**_Chapter 1_**

With both hands, I held the sword in my arm, leveling it till such that I may have a formidable defense. My objective this round was not to strike hard and fast, but wait for an opportunity to lash out, all the while, letting my opponent, who stood before me on all four, tire herself out.

(Ready?) That was the signal that the spar was about to begin.

"Yeah," I said through the grit of my teeth. It was going to be very rough in a matter of seconds.

(Yeah) My opponent replied.

(Fight!)

The fight had started!

Contrary to my typical maneuver, where I would allow her to strike first, I thrusted out my sword, in the direction of my opponent. Expectedly she parried it, followed by a series of vertical tail slashes that made me withdrew my sword close to myself.

This continued, eventually pushing me backwards. Slowly, I parried each of the attacks, twisting my arm round in motions that it wasn't normally used to. Fatigue set in as the fight extended, pushing me more and more onto the defense.

(Catherine, you're not going to win this time,) my opponent taunted, as our weapons came into a lock, (I analyzed your techniques, I'm sure to counter them.)

Heh, Andalites, arrogant as usual.

"I hope you win then," I replied, before breaking out of the lock, sliding my sword along her tail blade, and then ducking. She whirled overhead. I sent my sword to strike her legs.

She saw her mistake and jumped immediately to prevent from losing. Now I struck, sending my sword across in horizontal directions forcing her back onto the defense. I swerved here and there, with erratic movements to throw her off balance, then lashed out quickly, finally breaking down her defense.

"Games up." I said, finally delivering the final move. Then, a mistake!

Throwing my opponent on the defense, I had sent her fighting lower and lower, and I hadn't thought about that. Her tail blade flew, sending me on my bottom in a second and her standing over me, ready to finish me off. No! I was going to loose!

Fwap!

Pah!

I blocked her attack! I continued to block her attacks desperately, hoping for some sort of opening, but none presented itself.

(You loose human.)

I spotted an opening, her tail blade veered in an angle that was aggressive but yet vulnerable.

"Finish me then." I replied.

(Certainly)

Her tail blade, aimed for my neck, flicked in a split second, but I was ready. Pain seared my arm as I blocked the attack, then I grab my sword and hurled it forward, locking with her tail blade. I pressed against the lock hard, using the floor as a base, then sent her off balance.

I jumped to my feet immediately, and whirled round to face her, only to find her tail blade at my neck.

(Fight over!) Collath said, (It's a draw. Both opponents would have delivered the fatal blow to each other in the event of a real fight.)

But of course, would I ever turn without a move ready? I looked at Calath who held her tail blade against my neck. My sword held steadily at her torso, which if it was real, would her severed her upper body off.

(Though Calath's attack was faster by 0.01 of a second, Catherine's attack would still be counted, as the reflex action of her body would follow through the action.) Collath said, all the while, analyzing our fight through the computer screen in the corner.

I turned back to Calath, who just stood there saying nothing. I held out my hand to her and we shook each other's hand. Just a week ago, I had lost to her, today, I nearly won, but barely.

"Congrats sis. So you made it through another of Calath's amazing tail slashes. Heck, I wouldn't last a second against her."

I turned to look at Conner, he sat at the opposite end of the room, his arms folded, head high. Since when did he enter the sparring room…

"When did I invited you in here?" I said.

"You didn't. He did." Conner pointed across to Calath, or at least an empty spot where he last stood. He was no longer in the room, no doubt in the communications quarters, sending the video of our fight to all his friends on the Andalite net.

(We didn't invite you in here for a reason. Just look at the shreds in the floor where I had struck.) Calath said. True enough, I spotted three more shreds in the fabric, due to our fighting.

"Blah, who cares, anyways, is your arm all right sis? There's blood." He said.

I looked down onto the floor. Droplets of blood stained the sparing floor this time. It wasn't the first.

"Let's take a look at that shall we?" He grabbed me by the other arm, dragging me into the corner where he initially was, then proceeding to remove my armour.

(Sorry Catherine, I shouldn't have struck so hard when I-)

"Nah, its my fault. I used my arm to defend, shouldn't have done that." I said, "but good match with you this time. Didn't expect that you'll use a lower slash."

Calath twisted her face to form an Andalite smile, a weird mix of facial movements to form a likeness of a mouth. She bowed to me, and similarly I nodded my head back as my arm was immobile, being toyed about by my brother. Then she headed out of the room and into the Andalite night sky, gazing at the stars.

"You're lucky she didn't chop off your arm in this spar." Conner said as he rubbed the alcohol against my cut. "You know I don't really like it when you spar with Calath, I mean, she's the greatest tail blade fighter in the region. This isn't earth, this is the Andalite home world."

(Hey Catherine, your mom's calling.) Calath said from inside.

I pulled away from him, grabbing the alcohol soaked wool, and rubbed on the wound myself. Sometimes my older brother almost seemed like my intervening mom, one was already enough, especially one who calls everyday, repeating that exact same quotes.

"Geez, you're sounding more like mom each day," I replied.

"Why thank you." He grinned before I left the room.

"You're welcomed."

What a brother…another day in the life of an interplanetary student I guess.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Quad C: Catherine**

**_Chapter 2_**

"This is CNN Reporter, Miles O'Brian reporting to you live from the UN building in New York. With the meeting of the Secretary General of the United Nations with the Andalite Head of Council concluded, the go ahead has been given for the Human-Andalite Interplanetary Student Exchange program."

The day they announced that was June 23th 2096. It was approximately one hundred years after the Human Yeerk war had started. To me, that day was just another day.

"Two student applicants from the US will be given a chance to take part in this program. Exactly two months from this date, they will be flown to the Andalite Planet. For two month, they will, eat, sleep, play, and learn with the chosen Andalite student applicants, attending their learning institution there."

That afternoon, I was lying on my couch, fanning myself. The summer heat was unbearable, a scorching forty degrees Celsius. Flies had broken pass the mosquito net that barricaded the doors and windows. It couldn't be any worse…

In from the front door, walked by my older brother Conner. He was a year older than me. I didn't have to look up from my flat position to see what he had in his hand.

"Conner, as long as you don't bring that creature into my room, I'll be happy."

"Whatever sis. I can't help it if Harpy crawled out his box, across the window ledge and into your room. Besides, you left your window open…"

"Anything…just reassure me whatever you're carrying in your arm isn't to turn my room into a jungle."

"Don't worry, it's only a box of chicks. They'll be staying in the pen tonight. And shh! You'll wake them up."

"You said that last time, a nest of quails ended up residing at my ledge."

Who can stand sharing a room with weird creatures…besides Sally my dog, I allow no other animals entry in my room. Conner? He takes in anything. And no. I'm not talking about rabbits and stuff…he collects spiders and worms too, mostly to feed to his bird friends who loves gathering at my side of the window ledge. Our rooms window ledges are connected that's why…

"So Mr General, will Andalites students be visiting here on Earth too?"

"Yes. The Andalite student's who will host the two student applicants that we will choose shortly too be given the opportunity to come to Earth for two months. The student applicants will host our Andalite guest and accompany them to school, and guided tours about Santa Barbara, the Animorphs hometown and former war zone."

Learning about the Human-Yeerk war was an important part of the education system. Virtually all students, whether in the US, Australia, Asia, Europe all have had learn about it, and visited the area once. It was almost like a pilgrimage for the Animorphs, who were once students like us, giving up their childhood and innocence for the planet. Our school had planned for us to visit the place this fall. We were told that we might even get the chance to visit the Animorph Cassie Chambers, who now is not only the most famous person on Earth, but the oldest living too.

"The choosing of our two student applicants will begin very soon. We'll go over to the live choosing soon, but first in other news…new studies has shown that the Ozone layer…"

Zap!

"Today on 'That's my Baby'…"

Someone changed the channel. I didn't have to guess whom.

"God damn it Con, I was watching that." I protested.

"Its news. That's boring." He said, walking by me, then plunking his butt on the sofa seat next to where my head lay.

He turned to look at me; his face hovered directly over mine.

"Besides, you're going to have a baby of your own one day. May as well see how the animals do it."

I sat up straight immediately, nearly hitting his. Gosh. He's so freaking annoying.

"TV, CNN please."

Zap!

"And so here we go! The barrel goes spinning around..,"

"TV, Animal Planet."

"And so does the…"

Zap!

"Sassy, she's my cat."

Zap!

"She's two years old and…"

Zap!

"And so does the hopes of the thousand of finalist applicants who were chosen for their potential in the Human-Andalite exchange…"

Zap!

"Sassy's two years old, and this is her first litter…"

Zap!

"And our first student applicant who will travel to the Andalite home world is…."

Zap!

"She seemed very excited to have her litter…"

Zap!

"rine…Derevnain"

Wait! Derevnain?

Zap!

But…but…that was our family name…

"Conner!" I shouted.

"What?"

"Change back the channel. Isn't that our…"

Zap!

"Yes. Our first 2096 applicant is Catherine Derevnain! This lucky 16 year old will be traveling to the Andalite Home world and study there for two months!"

What? Impossible…

"And here's our second applicant. And what a coincident! I don't know if they're related, but our second applicant is, Conner Derevnain!"

I don't know what came into my mind at that moment when I heard my name being called. But I definitely remembered what came to my mind when I heard my brother's name being called.

_Oh shit!_

(Catherine! Catherine!)

"Arr!" I screamed, suddenly sitting upright.

For a moment I had thought I was back home in Washington. No it was only a dream…but just to confirm, I looked up.

Greenish painted metalloid walls…opaque windows and walls that turned transparent at the touch of my hand…a futuristic looking door, almost like that of star trek, only wider…

I was on the Andalite planet…yeah…Andalite planet.

(Conner! Catherine!)

I turned to where I thought where the thought-speak came from, to my right where Conner laid stone dead in his bed still asleep. No. Not him!

"Uh….Calath?"

(Catherine. You're awake! We got to get going soon. School's about to start in thirty of your minutes…and I do not wish that we be late on our first day there.)

_Questions: Is all of this happening in the future._

_Answer: Yes it is._


End file.
